The Difference Between Gender and Sex
Happy Canada Day. Take a minute to reflect on what this means to you. If you are a newly landed immigrant this might mean something vastly different than a seventh generation Canadian descended from British immigrants, and again something vastly different than someone who is Aboriginal.
I have been noticing lately that many of the forms and surveys that I have been viewing and completing are using the terms gender and sex incorrectly. This is very irritating to me. However the definition of gender does not seem to be common knowledge. Perhaps this is knowledge that I gained through my sociology degree (with a concentration in gender studies).
The definitions of both terms are as follows:
""Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society
considers appropriate for men and women."
""Sex" refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women."
(This is taken from the World Health Organization Website, http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/)
When referring to gender the terms man and woman are appropriate because these are socially constructed roles. However when referring to sex this indicates the biological characteristics that exist within a person that is XX (female) or XY (male). Take note of this. When you see a form or survey that confuses these terms it is okay to correct the author. I hope this information empowers you.
P.S. I forgot to update you on the status of my CNA Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing exam. I passed it. And so the next goal is to complete an application for the Master of Psychiatric Nursing program at Brandon University. I am giving myself a deadline of December 31st 2013.
I have been noticing lately that many of the forms and surveys that I have been viewing and completing are using the terms gender and sex incorrectly. This is very irritating to me. However the definition of gender does not seem to be common knowledge. Perhaps this is knowledge that I gained through my sociology degree (with a concentration in gender studies).
The definitions of both terms are as follows:
""Gender" refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society
considers appropriate for men and women."
""Sex" refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women."
(This is taken from the World Health Organization Website, http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/)
When referring to gender the terms man and woman are appropriate because these are socially constructed roles. However when referring to sex this indicates the biological characteristics that exist within a person that is XX (female) or XY (male). Take note of this. When you see a form or survey that confuses these terms it is okay to correct the author. I hope this information empowers you.
P.S. I forgot to update you on the status of my CNA Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing exam. I passed it. And so the next goal is to complete an application for the Master of Psychiatric Nursing program at Brandon University. I am giving myself a deadline of December 31st 2013.
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